


Do you fear Death?

by KriegSchnee



Category: Parahumans Series - Wildbow, Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Flying Dutchman, Kim Namjoon | RM Loves Crabs, Pirates, Swordfighting, The Flying Dutchman (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-21 06:55:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30017862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KriegSchnee/pseuds/KriegSchnee
Summary: The Flying Dutchman has a new captain aboard.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

I never saw the skinhead coming. School was already shitty, with Them filling my locker...with that disgusting filth. I was walking home when I felt something hit the back of my head, hard. 

When I woke up, I was locked inside some box. Well...more like crammed into the box. My knees were up to my chest, my precious hair was half in here with me, and the longer half caught outside. I gritted my teeth. It hurted...a lot. My hands were bloodied from trying to force myself free, but I failed, miserably. 

"P-Please…" I croaked, my voice hoarse from crying. Someone...save me...Armsmaster...Dad...anyone…

I-I never thought that Emma would have gone so far. Darkness was my only solace here, and even then, I was alone like always. It felt like I was locked in a box, then thrown into the trunk of a car. Slow deep breaths, helped calm my frantic mind. 

I was being kidnapped. I was about to be murdered. I...was never going to see Dad again. Mom...I miss you...and I'll see you soon. Soon, I felt the vehicle carrying come to a stop. This...smelled familiar. I smelled...rust...algae...the sea…

I heard the trunk unlock, and I started banging on the roof of the box. 

"LET ME OUT!" I screamed desperately. I felt the box start to be lifted, and they dropped me. 

"Ouch…" I hit my head

"Oh shit." I heard one of my kidnappers curse. Wait...I recognized that voice. He was some wannabe skinhead in one of my classes. Johnathan something. Emma must have gotten him to...I'm dead. She probably told them that I was Jewish-

"Let's just hurry up before the chinks know we're here." A second voice said, I started screaming until my throat was raw and bloody. I wiggled and fought, rocking my body and hitting the walls of this box. 

"LET ME OUT!" I forced my hoarse voice to scream out. My captors ignored my pleas, and suddenly, I felt like I was flying. Water started slowly leaking in. 

I was going to die. I struggled even more as water forced itself into my box. My lungs burned as I started running out of oxygen. The saltwater burned my eyes, and started entering my lungs. My movements slowed as my lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. 

Dad...I'm sorry. Darkness slowly started to overtake me. 

I'm coming to see you Mom…

-*-

My eyes opened only to be blinded by a bright light. I closed them again and coughed up water. What...what was going on here? Did someone save me? I tried forcing myself up. I felt...something rough...and coarse. 

Sand. I remembered visiting the beach a few times back when Mom was alive. How weird the sand felt in between my younger self's toes. I slowly started to open my eyes when I heard a strange voice.

"You poor...poor child." Her voice...felt like a warm embrace. I opened my eyes to see a crab. Plain, white, and staring straight at me with it's small, beady black eyes. 

"W-Where am I?" I sat up and looked around. Water, lots and lots of water surrounding the sandbar I was on. 

"You are...everywhere...yet nowhere child…" That voice again! I looked around...yet I was alone. Except for the lone crab, who continued to stare at me. I felt its gaze pierce into my very being. 

"W-Who are you?" I whispered. The crab blinked slowly.

"I am Calypso." 

Calypso? The nymph from the Odyssey? I remembered Mom reading that story to me before bed. The daughter of the Titan Atlas, she tried making Odysseus her husband. 

The crab blinked again. "Is this form not to your liking?" More crabs gathered around the lone crab, each and every one of them identical, and before my eyes, stood a brown skinned man with long facial hair, dreadlocks and a red bandana wrapped around his head. 

He sauntered up to me with a toothy grin. I stared in confusion. What…

"Oi! Not good enough for ya eh?" 

Calypso transformed again into a beautiful blonde woman with equally beautiful brown eyes. "Hmm, not this one either?" She had a British accent. I was...too shocked to speak. 

She shook her head and transformed into a dark skinned woman with dreadlocks and tattoos on her face. 

"Ah, this is much betta." Calypso said. She sat across from me. Her mischievous eyes stared into my own bespectacled ones. 

"A-Am I dead?" 

"No child. Well...not yet anyways." She laughed slightly at the end. Calypso reached out a hand, and touched the side of my sand covered cheek. 

"Who woulda thought dat Turner boy would still have a descendant." She examined my face with curiosity. Turner? Descendant? It seems she sensed my confusion. 

"Ooo, yo Mada didn't tell you?" She led me to the edge of the water and pointed. The form of a handsome man appeared, with a dark bandana wrapped around his forehead, he was dressed like a pirate. 

"Yo Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfatha was the captain of the Flying Dutchman. I'm sure there's some more greats somewhere in there." 

What? I stared at the reflection of my well...Great-Grandpa? He looked...a lot like Mom. Calypso touched my hair. 

"Hmmm...I was sure you were gonna have the blonde hair tho." 

I buried my hands in the sand and glared at her. "What do you want from me?" Calypso feigned being offended before letting a chuckle. 

"Deary, it's not what I want." She poked my chest. "It's what you want." She whispered into my ear. The reflection of my Great-Grandpa disappeared when a dolphin broke the surface of the water. It stared at me, and chirped. 

I must've been dreaming. Yeah yeah, this was all just a bad dream and I must be at ho- OUCH. A small crabbed pinched my finger buried in the sand. 

"You is not dreaming, child." She caressed my cheek again. "In fact, I have a deal for you." 

A deal? I turned to look at Calypso. "What deal?" I said dryly. 

She flashed me an ugly grin. "You has two options now. The first one is, you died. Drowned in dat box." She leaned back and placed her feet in the ocean. "Choose da first option and I'll allow you to pass on to da other side. You could see ya Mada again." 

I felt a few tears form in my eyes. Mom…

"The second one however, requires a bit more work. You will become immortal. Time will never take you, but you shall help those who die at sea, you shall be their guide to da other side." She touched the dolphin's nose. I...liked the first one more...but that would mean Dad would be alone. "If you choose this one, I will give you a favor your predecessors did not have." The dolphin chirped happily. 

"Instead of waiting every 10 years to step on land, I shall allow you to walk wherever there is a port or along da coast." She looked back at me with a dangerous smile. "But there will be a cost." 

I stayed silent, thinking about the two options. Calypso continued speaking. 

"In exchange...your body will take on attributes from the sea and all life innit." 

I...didn't want to leave Dad alone. 

"What...do I have to do if I choose the second one?" 

Calypso snapped her fingers, and a swarm of crabs carried over a metal chest covered in elaborate carvings along with a simple knife. 

"The Dutchman must always have a captain." She placed the knife in my shaking hands. 

"Place your heart...in the chest." She poked my bosom lightly. I stared at the knife. It looked...painful. I already experienced plenty of pain in my life. What's one more? 

I grabbed my shirt, and sliced it, not caring how I looked. I swallowed the saliva that had built up in my throat, and took a death breath. 

I plunged the knife into me. 

A/N

BAM. Hopefully the writing is better from Chimera. It's been a while since I tried first person again. I hope the story was enjoyable. I decided to turn the snippet into a story. Time to go and rewatch all of the movies with Davy Jones in them. POTC was my childhood. 

I wonder what ratings he would be classified as. Brute, thinker, mover and possibly trump I think.


	2. 1.2

Have you ever heard of the saying, 'You tore my heart out' before? Before today, I never thought I would have taken that literally. I had never felt this type of pain. Cutting out my own heart, hurted way more than Sophia hitting me. I gently placed my beating heart into the chest. 

I never felt better. Surprisingly, I was still alive. Closing the chest, I locked it with the fancy key. I wiped the blade on my hoodie's sleeve. Oh, in my haste I had sliced right into the middle, leaving my bare chest open. 

"Ahh! Don't look!" I quickly turned away from Calypso who seemed focused on the chest. I'm so stupid. I should have taken off my hoodie and shirt. 

"You acts like we is not both female." Calypso said dryly. I blushed softly and looked at her. "I has lived since the beginning of this world, and I shall be here long afta. I have seen many bodies clothed or not." Calypso pulled the key from the keyhole and placed it in my hand. "Guard or hide dis key with your life. You may be immortal-" She poked my already healing scar. "But whoever stabs you through the heart, will kill you." So hide the chest with my heart. 

I nodded slowly. She stood up and smiled at me. "Alas, what is a captain without her ship?" Calypso snapped her fingers, and that was when I felt it. A familiar, yet foreign presence. Something erupted from below the water, dowsing us both in surprisingly refreshing seawater. "The Flying Dutchman is yours." 

Mom had read me plenty of stories when I was younger, with some of them detailing stories about the famous ghost ship. It looked nothing like I imagined. 

The bow of the ship looked like the mouth of a monstrous sea creature, with objects that looked like teeth. It had three main masts, with sails that looked like they were made of seaweed. The sides of the ship had openings for I assumed were cannons, that looked like creatures screaming their battlecry. 

It was huge and gorgeous. I stared at the ship in shock. It wasn't just any ship, it was mine now. Calypso stood next to me as I admired it. 

"Of course, every captain needs a crew. Your ancestor Henry Turner freed his father William Turner from his curse of being its captain." Calypso said with disgust. "He never shoulda meddled with matters beyond him. Still, a few members of ole Davy Jones and Turner's crew should be on board." She flashed Taylor a grin which made her feel uneasy. "If they haven't become one with da Dutchman of course." 

I kept staring at the ship, and angled my head towards Calypso. 

"Why does it look so...old?" 

Calypso giggled at that. "Don't worry, love. She might look old, but da Dutchman is fasta than any of ya modern ships. It's guns should also be more than a match for any opponent in ya way." She paused to rub the head of a crab that climbed up her dress and onto the chest. "The more souls ya help guide da stronger da Dutchman becomes. She'll adapt to how the world is, and become strongah." 

That was...actually helpful to know. 

"Come come. Let's see if anyone is home." Calypso cackled. 

Yeah...let's do that. Right after I fix the angle of my hoodie. 

-*-

The Dutchman felt empty and in need of a crew. It looked like and felt like the sea. Barnacles and other sea creatures covered the ship. I almost tripped over a cannon sadly, which led to Calypso laughing at me for a few minutes. 

"Part of the ship, part of the crew." Whispers started to infiltrate my ears. 

"Part of the ship, part of the crew." The whispers remained in the background, repeating the phrase.

"Ooo excellent. Some of them still have not merged." Calypso formed a knowing smirk. Suddenly, humanoid forms appeared around us, coming from the ship's hull. All of them looked like personifications of the sea. One of them had a hammerhead shark for a head, two looked like they were part a coral reef, with one of them only having a single eye, the other had eye holes but only darkness was seen. The fourth one looked like he had animals and sea flora growing on his face, with tendrils sprouting from one eye socket and mandibles in place of a mouth. 

The whispers stopped when they formed before us. 

"Goddess Calypso-" The Hammerhead shark one gasped as they all bowed their heads in reverence. Calypso waved them off. 

"Quiet. Let's see if ah rememba." She pointed at the hammerhead. "Maccus," she pointed at the coral reef figure with one eye, "Ogilvey," this time the other walking coral reef, "Pacifico," and finally the figure with the tendril for an eye, "Crash." 

They all turned their attention to the chest in Calypso's hands, and turned to me. 

"The Dutchman must always have a captain." The one named Maccus said, flashing a grin with deadly shark teeth. 

"The Dutchman must always have a captain." The others repeated, their voices deep and harsh like the sea. 

Calypso turned to me and motioned towards the chest. "Find somewhere safe to hide ya heart. Then rebuild ya crew. Then ya can perform ya duties. I'm sure there is many dying peoples out there that would give their arms to stay in da land of da living. Plenty of souls too da would like to return. Though, they is a bit harder. Gather da dying into ya crew until ya used to it, then ya can try da souls." She turned back to the crew. "Only yous four are still here?" 

The one Calypso called Pacifico answered, despite not having a visible mouth. 

"Yes Great goddess." Calypso nodded while smirking and placed the chest in my arms. 

"Keep dis safe love. I'm sure you'll make ya ole Turner proud of ya. Maccus used to be Jones' first mate, so he'll tell ya what to do. He'll know how to get ya out of Davy Jones Locker." With that, Calypso turned into a swarm of white crabs, and disappeared from the ship, leaving me all alone with these four strangers. 

"Captin, your orders?" Maccus walked up to me and bowed his large head slightly. The other three gathered around me expectantly. 

I stared at where Calypso had been and sighed. What had I gotten myself into? I stared down at my ripped hoodie plus shirt, and turned to Maccus. "I need new clothes." He motioned to Crash. "Take the Captin to her quarters for a change of clothes." 

Crash nodded and turned back to me. "Follow me Captin." His gravelly voice said. I followed him when Maccus started shouting at the other two. 

"Get the ship ready so we can leave when da Captin is ready!" They scurried off after that, yet I could still tell where they were exactly on the ship?

Crash led me down some dark hallways. The walls were just as covered in sea life as the outside, but even more damp. A few lamps casted long shadows as we walked past them. Eventually, we stopped in front of a door, with a squid carving made on the door. 

"Your quarters Captin." Crash pushed the door open for me since I was still carrying the chest with my beating heart in it. It was roomy and felt like home. A large organ sat in the middle of the room, with a bed off to the side. A larger chest sat at the foot of the bed, and a desk covered in barnacles sat on the opposite side. I placed the chest on the desk. "Captin Turner had some of his wife's clothes in da chest along with his own. He left them here when he left." Crash said simply, standing at the door of my new room. 

"Thank you. You can uh, go help the others." Crash nodded and closed the door before he left. I almost collapsed on the bed. It felt like seaweed. 

This was a lot to take in at the moment. After a few minutes of staring at the roof, I sat up. It was time to see what Great-Grandpa left behind. Opening the chest, a few sea spiders crawled out. Wow, this looked like they haven't aged a day. It took a little bit of digging, but I found some buttoned shirts, along with a red pirate coat that should be able to fit me, it didnt have that many barnacles too! The trousers seemed a bit too big, so my jeans were going to have to do until I got better clothes. I was going to need some boots too. 

I pulled my hoodie and shirt off slowly. Yeah, Great-Grandma's bras were definitely not going to fit me, and even if they did, ewwwww. 

Great-Grandpa was a freak if he kept some of those in this chest. Getting dressed was rather easy. Good old buttons, don't you ever change. I wished I had a mirror to see how ridiculous I looked. Now all I was missing was a hat. Great-Grandpa didn't seem to like them, but there were a lot of bandanas. 

"Part of the ship, part of the crew." The whispering started again. Well, it was time to get a move on I guess. For some reason, I knew that Crash was unfurling the sails, with the others preparing the ship as well. 

Following the same dark path that led me to my room, I walked back into the sunlight. Eventually, I made my way to the quarter deck. Maccus was already there. 

He turned to me with an unsettling grin. "What's our heading Captain?" 

I needed to build up my crew, so from what I've heard, I need dying or close to dead people to join my crew. Souls can come later. 

I need a crew before I can become the guide to the undead. Hmmm, I know just the place. 

A place where people are on the verge of dying often involves war or disease. Luckily, one continent was full of warlords to my knowledge. A perfect place to start. 

I stared into Maccus' beady shark eyes.

"Set sail for the African coast." 

Once we got out of the Locker. 

And once I find a safe place for my heart. I really needed to get my priorities straight. Wait a minute, why didn't I just hide it here? 

Yeah, hide heart here first, then Africa. I'm a genius. 

A/N

Wow, I never thought that that story would have ever had this much support with just the first chapter. I'll do my best!

Taylor's new to the job. Don't worry, she'll become more ruthless soon. Her transformation won't happen overnight either. 

That's as bad as rushing character development. 

I'll be taking inspirations from POTC, Warhammer Total war, and other famous pirates like Captain hook. 


	3. 1.3

"Wait wait wait." I tapped Maccus on his shoulder before he shouted out orders to the others. He turned around to look at me expectantly. "Is there someplace where the previous captains hid stuff?" I'm not about to call treasure booty. Maccus leaned onto the ship's barnacle covered railing and nodded. 

"Ole Captin Jones used to hide them in a cove not far from here. He used it since the cove would be hidden by a high tide. It's quite far from the desert." That was perfect. Still, why would the captain of the Flying Dutchman need a place to stash his booty? Damn it, now I sounded stereotypical. Maybe he had a collection of rare fish? 

"Do you know where it is?" I asked. No one could enter Davy Jones's locker without myself or Calypso knowing. Wait, how did I know that? I felt another surge and the ship groaned. I-I knew where it was. I knew...where everything was. Everything that the ocean covered, down to the algae. I grabbed my forehead. This was too much at once. 

"Hmm, I know the Captin didn't want us knowing what was in there, so we had the Dutchman wait no far from it." I nodded slowly while rubbing my forehead. 

"Head there, then Africa." 

I left him and walked back to my room. I should explore the ship, yet it felt like I knew every plank of wood, every cannon, every barnacle. I knew this ship. I leaned against the wall to my side, gasped, and grasped my shirt. What was happening to me? Was this some side effect of cutting out my heart? The Flying Dutchman started to move, I could feel it as the ship glided over the crystal clear water. 

I continued walking, taking steady steps. Calypso said that I would take on personifications of the sea, did that mean I would turn into a monster like the other four? I-I didn't want to be a monster. 

I didn't want to-

Someone was on the ship. It wasn't Maccus or the others. This presence felt different, yet still familiar. I decided to follow it, which was probably stupid given that I didnt have a weapon on me. Taking light steps, I walked past my room, towards the back of the ship. Soon, only a door made up of driftwood blocked my way. 

I slowly started to push it, when I sensed someone behind me. I closed my eyes. 

It was Pacifico appearing from the walls. 

"We have arrived Captin." His deep voice said. I stopped pushing on the door, and turned my head towards him. 

"Thank you Pacifico." 

I allowed the door to close shut. I gave it one last look before I walked away. 

-*-

The Dutchman stopped a few leagues away from a giant sea cliff. It easily dwarfed the Flying Dutchman, so I had to look up to see the top. The four members of my crew gathered around me. I looked at them and pointed my thumb at it. 

"You mean I have to search for the stupid cove myself?" 

They all nodded in unison. I sighed and leaned against the railing, the wind causing my hair to fly in my face, yet the Dutchman did not move. It stayed quiet and still in the ocean's water. Only the sails fluttered and moved about. 

"Captin Jones didn't want the crew knowing its exact location." Ogilvey spoke up, his lone eye kinda creeping me out. I hope I didn't end up looking like any of them. 

I sighed again and nodded. 

"So how do I find it? Can we get the Dutchman closer?" 

Crash shook his head this time, looking a bit fearful. 

"Fine." I started to climb the railing, and sat on it, ready to jump off. Good thing Mom made me take swimming classes when I was younger. Wait a minute. I turned to Maccus. "Is there anyone else on the ship?" 

They all stared at each other for a few seconds. Maccus looked scared as he stared at me in the eyes. 

"There's...a soul onboard. He refused to leave back when Captin Turner offered to guide him go the other side." Right, and Jones didn't do his job right most likely. Why is the Dutchman being haunted? That's supposed to be my job! I looked back at the water, staring at my reflection. This red coat looked pretty nice on me though. Pacifico and Ogilvey handed me my heart chest. 

"I'll deal with it when I get back." I mumbled, and I jumped into the ocean, holding the chest close. 

Surprisingly, I didn't drown. Now I just needed to find that stupid cove. 

-*-

It felt like forever, but I eventually found the dang thing. I felt a small urge in the back of my head, directing me. The Dutchman felt alive. 

Normally when you walk in water, your steps feel heavy and weighed down. That clearly didn't apply to me as I took another step. The cove was an unassuming thing. It looked like a hole stuck in the rock wall. 

Walking in water felt refreshing, my hair floating around me. I approached the cove. Half of it was flooded, with aquatic flora covering the walls. After a few more minutes, my eyes widened. 

Chest filled with treasure, others with swords covered in sea creatures, and a few more tightly shut. Damn, what was Jonesy doing with all of this stuff? It's not like he had a social life. He definitely didn't need all of this stuff. After placing my heart near the back of the cove, I decided to look around. The metal chest was made to be in the water so my heart should be safe here. 

Glancing at the chest full of gold, I walked over to the chest full of weapons. I was definitely going to need a sword. Opening it up, my shoulders sagged. Why did they all need to have barnacles and shit on them? Still, it was better than nothing I guess. Let's see, that's an axe, that sword is too big for me, that's a sawfish's snout, ooo I like this one. I pulled out a skinny light sword, its handle and the blade covered in sea stuff, but the metal was still visible. 

I'll use this for now. At least until I get something much better. I decided to search into the other chest. One of them had more gold, and another had an assortment of various weapons like giant hooks. I looked up from that one. There was one more chest I didn't check yet. Opening it slowly, my eyes widened. I carefully reached it, and pulled out a beautiful flute. It reminded me of Mom…

If I wasn't underwater I'm sure I would have cried a few tears. I stared at the gorgeous flute, which looked like it was formed from coral, and decided that it was mine now. 

Yup, it's definitely mine now. I reached the mouth of the cove and cursed. 

I have to walk back now. Well, swim if you want to be exact. 

-*-

It didn't take as long this time since I knew exactly where the Dutchman was. It was also surprisingly easy to climb the side of my ship. I wish there was some way I could teleport anywhere I wanted. The Dutchman groaned again, the driftwood creaking. Really? I could! I should try that out later. 

My four fishmen were playing a game of dice when I finished climbing over the railing, the sword at my side and flute in my mouth. Dont ask how it tasted! Uponing hearing me, they all jumped up to look at me. 

Straightening my red coat, which despite being wet made me feel even more comfortable, I pointed my sword at Maccus. 

"Take me to the soul." 

A/N

Ahaha cliffhangerrr. 

According to the POTC wiki Davy Jones was a clairvoyant knowing stuff that he shouldn't normally know as well as knowing the exact location of the Black Pearl. 

So far it seems Taylor would be a Brute, Mover, Thinker, Master, Trump, Master, and possibly Shaker. 

That's a lot now that I'm writing them out. 

Next time, we shall see who the soul is


	4. 1.4

Finding the soul was a bit harder than expected. The dang thing kept moving around the stern of the Dutchman. Every time I got closer, the bugger disappeared. I was definitely going to make it walk the plank, if the soul could still walk after I blew their kneecaps off. That sounded like a great plan to me. I left Maccus in charge above deck to finish preparations while I chased the annoying bugger. 

This would give me a chance to properly see the ship with my own two eyes. I ran through the lower decks as well as the ship's brig. A lot of body's attached to the walls were down there. Dad always told me to never run with scissors, good thing he didn't say anything about swords. I closed my eyes as I ran. The Dutchman could help me. 

There! I almost tripped but I cornered the soul, the Dutchman trapping it near the stern. I ran as fast as I could, sword in hand, and walked through a door, only for a sword to be placed at my neck as soon as I walked in. 

"You should know better than anyone that you won't be able to do anything to me." I said instinctively. I took a step forward allowing the sword to graze my throat and pointed my own blade at it. 

"Yo-You are the captain?" Said masculine voice with an English accent. I stared at the soul's form. The soul was a man, younger than Dad, wearing some kind of uniform that looked like it was in fashion a few centuries ago. An elegant tricorn sat on top of his head, along with a snow white wig. He was handsome, and still holding a sword that looked a bit similar to mines, albeit with less barnacles. He also seemed a bit see through, and wispy. 

"The Dutchman must always have a captain." I stared into his eyes while he looked at me in shock. He stared at me for a few seconds and lowered his sword. The Soul was much taller than myself. 

"You look just like her…" He said slowly. What? Did he know me? He mumbled a name under his breath, Elizasomething. 

"Who are you?" I demanded, keeping my blade aimed at him. Who did he think he was to threaten me on my own ship! Ogilvey was going to be missing some guns when I was done with this foolish soul. I was going to break some knees with some lead. 

The soul took off his tricorn and bowed his head slightly, holding the tricorn over where his heart should be. 

"I am Admiral James Norrington. A pleasure to meet you." 

Who?

-*-

As it turned out, Davy Jones killed Norrington when he helped my Great-Grandmother escape the Flying Dutchman. Since he died at sea, his soul was left here since Jonesy didn't want to do his job. Great-Grandpa offered to take him to the otherside once he was the captain, but Norrington refused, wanting to watch over Great-Grandma's descendants. The poor fool was in love. Some job he did. He got stuck on the ship when Henry Turner released the curse and the Dutchman returned to the locker. So he decided to haunt what remained of the crew for playing a part in his early death. 

This sounded too complicated in my opinion. Over the centuries, he took it upon himself to haunt my ghost ship. 

"So want to move on? Pass on to the other side?" We were in my quarters now. The others were waiting for my command to set sail. 

Norrington shook his head. "No. I failed in protecting Elizabeth's descendants, I won't fail now." Great, an undead bodyguard to go along with my fishmen. I glanced at my left hand. It was already starting to slowly turn green. That didn't look so good. 

"Fine. On one condition though." I said with a sigh. 

Norrington stared at me expectantly. I glared back at him. 

"Teach me how to use a sword." How was I going to be the captain of a literal pirate ship that guided the dead to the otherside without knowing how to properly use a sword? Norrington seemed to think about it for a moment and nodded. 

"You have a deal." He extended his hand, looking exactly like some ghost. I stared at his hand. Calypso said that binding the dying was easier than souls. I mean, how hard could it be? I could practice right here with James. 

I took his hand, and he became solid. 

Sadly, I didn't know what happened next since I blacked out. 

-*-

When I woke up again, I felt barnacle covered bed sheets. Why did everything have to be covered in barnacles? Groaning, I sat up slowly. I had company too. The four fishmen plus Norrington were all staring at me. Totally not creepy at all. I rubbed my forehead and glared at them. 

"What happened?" I rubbed the bridge of my nose. 

"Binding souls to the Dutchman is much more...complicated than the dying." Maccus said. Of course he would know. "It's especially complicated if you have not binded others before." Well that explained why it felt like someone dropped an anchor on me. 

I threw my legs over the bed's edge, and stood up, my legs wobbly. Norrington moved to help me stand, but I waved him off. I needed to give them all positions before we gathered the first of the crew. 

"Maccus, I'm appointing you as the first mate." Norrington seemed a bit disappointed, but I ignored him. "Ogilvey can continue as the head gunner. Crash, can you be the quartermaster?" 

Crashes looked at his hands, counted to ten with them and nodded. I turned to Palifico. 

"Can you be the navigator?" 

"Aye Captin." 

That left Norrington left. 

"Norrington, you can be the boatswain." 

He smiled at me and saluted. Stop being so attractive! Even with that ugly wig on his head. 

"Alright, get this ship moving. I got places to be, souls to guide and booty to plunder." They all gave me weird looks with that last one, but did what I told them. 

"Are you coming Captain?" Norrington asked just outside of my door. 

"In a minute." He smiled and left, closing the door behind him. I sighed again and fell back on the bed. It was hard work being the grim reaper of the seas, and I havent even started gathering souls yet! 

After a few minutes, I got back up again. I gave the coral flute one last look before placing it in my pocket. I'll have the rest of eternity to practice with it. 

Soon, I was standing next to Palifico as he held Dutchman's steering wheel with Norrington and Maccus standing to the other side. 

"Give the word Captin." Maccus said with a grin. Well he seemed eager. 

"Full speed ahead, towards the African coast." 

The Dutchman immediately rushed forward and angled down towards the water. The water felt refreshing as we submerged. 

I wished I had noticed the pain in my right arm. 

A/N

Yeah, Taylor's gonna turn more pirate like later. Pillaging and revenge stuff. 

James Norrington, who would have thought? Kudos to the Growling Giant on AO3 who guessed it. Don't worry, I will confirm that Jack and two maybe three certain someones are alive and well. Well, mostly. 

That's all you'll get out of me for now though. 

Wow! Over 1,000 watchers with just three chapters when it happened on Space battles! Thank you to all of my lovely readers. 


	5. 1.5

"Be careful my son." Mama said in Hausa as she kissed Ekon's cheek. They lived in a small village near the coast, and fishing was their livelihood. People tend to avoid the coast, which led to plenty of exiles, including Ekon's family, wanting to avoid the various warlords and their militias. More specifically, Ogun and his war against Adroa here in Nigeria with rumors that Moord Nag herself was attempting to move in. The fighting was getting closer to the village, but none of the warlords wanted to move towards the coast from fear that Leviathan might appear. A lot of nonsense in Ekon's opinion since Adroa made Lagos his capital. 

"I will Mama." Ekon replied and gave his Mama a tight hug. It was his turn to go on the fishing voyage with the other men from the village. It was time he made his Mama proud. Papa had lost a leg on a previous trip, so it was up to Ekon to provide for his parents and three younger sisters. The ocean provided them the food to live, as well as allowed them an escape should that Ash Beast come close. 

"Go on and tell ya Papa you're leaving." Mama said, wiping a tear from her eyes. Ekon nodded and kissed his Mama's wet cheek. She tried stopping him from going saying that the voyage would be dangerous, but then the drought came. They desperately needed the food. 

Ekon walked outside of their hut, and looked at his Papa who was sitting on an old wooden chair. Papa had never been the same since he lost his leg. Before the accident he was happy, loving and always full of joy. Now, he seemed like a shell of himself. He rarely smiled, and barely left the house too. 

"I'm going Papa." Ekon said as he kneeled in front of him. Papa gave him a blank stare, and reached out to grab his shoulder. 

"Don't make the same mistake I did." Papa caressed Ekon's cheek. His hands felt rough, but still held a certain gentleness. Ekon nodded and kissed Papa's forehead. "Be strong like your name." 

Ekon left afterwards so his sisters wouldn't find out. Along with Mama, they disapproved of the thought of him joining the fishing trip. He soon arrived where the other fishermen would be preparing. An older man caught sight of him. 

"Ahaha are you ready Ekon?" Ade was only a decade older than Ekon, and he was one of the best fishermen in the village. Ade's family and Ekon's had come from neighboring villages before their arrival here. 

"Of course." Ekon grinned as he grabbed a net Ade handed to him. They were almost done with preparations, and then they would head out to sea. 

There were plenty of fish to catch. 

-*-

The voyage had started off well. After about an hour or two of traveling, they cut the power to the motor and threw their nets out. According to Ade, a reef was nearby which meant plenty of fish to catch. The first hour of fishing, their nets came back empty. 

"Dont ya worry about empty nets Ekon. Every good fisherman knows that you lose more than ya catch." Ade smiled as he helped the other two villagers with them. 

"Ah ok." Ekon threw out his net again. His feet felt unsteady on the rocking boat, but he wouldn't fall. 

"I'm more worried about them clouds." Ade looked up from the net and looked towards the distance. "Remember this, the sea may provide for us and protect us, but it is also harsh, untamed, and always changing." 

Ekon paid close attention. He would need to learn all he could so he could provide for his family. He pulled the net back onto their small boat. 

Ekon grinned. He caught some small fish. 

The ocean would always provide for them.

-*-

What Ade said eventually came true. The sea was always changing, and could never be tamed. Even the most experienced sailors could never predict what would happen. A few hours after casting their nets, the weather changed. Dark clouds covered the sky, blocking out the sun. The once calm waves turned wild and against them, like turning your back on a lion. 

"Hold on tight boys." Ekon and the other two fishermen held onto the boat as Ade manned the motor, he had the most experience after all. The heavens then started releasing its water. 

This would be a battle between fishermen and nature, and nature rarely lost. The sound of thunder, waves, and the motor filled Ekon's ears. Ade rode the waves like one rode a horse or bicycle. Ekon was terrified and probably peed himself, not that he could tell since he was soaking wet. 

"Here comes another one!" Ade grinned as the boat met the wave head on, and they came out the other side completely soaked. All of the fish they had caught had been thrown overboard. Ade said that it would only weigh them down. 

"We're not gonna make it!" Ekon screamed. He was never going to be able to see his family again. Mama would be so heartbroken, Papa wouldn't be proud of him, and his sisters...they would probably try to resurrect him just to mirder him again! 

"Not with that attitude." 

Suddenly, the biggest wave Ekon had ever seen in his short career as a fisherman appeared right in front of their small boat. Ekon wasn't a catholic, yet he made the sign of the cross on his chest. 

Ade angled the boat towards the wave and sped up. "Hold on tighter than before!" He shouted. The rogue wave just looked taller as they drew closer. Ekon closed his eyes and started to pray to anyone who might hear. 

Then, his nose was flooded with water and he went flying. Ekon opened his mouth to scream, but the seawater muffled it as his insides filled with it. Ekon opened his eyes which burned from the salt and tried swimming towards the top of the water. 

His head made it above for a few seconds.

"HELP!" He coughed up water and the waves pulled him underneath again. The battle of fisherman against nature was brutal. The ocean didn't tolerate weakness. It did not tolerate being soft. Ekon struggled against the water, waving his arms to try and stay afloat. 

Then, something appeared right in front of him. It looked like the jaw of a monster, with wicked looking teeth, and it was coming straight for him. Bubbled erupted from Ekon's wordless scream. The monster went right past him, when he felt something grab him. 

Ekon's lungs then felt relief as he coughed up more water on the deck of a ship? After a few minutes of taking several deep breaths,Ekon looked up. It wasn't a monster, but some old ship with seaweed sails. What stood out the most to him however, was his saviors form, a figure with the features of a hammerhead shark with disgusting crab legs on their back. 

"AH!" Ekon screamed as he tried backing away from the evil creature who simply grinned, revealing sharp teeth. He backed up into someone, and when he turned around, he saw two soulless pits of walking coral. This- this was a nightmare! It was only enhanced by the storm still raging around them. 

"Spare my life!" Ekon started to beg, when a figure dressed in a red coat walked up to him. She was obviously a female, with long curly hair and glasses. She was also white with a slight tinge of green to her and had a sword at her side. They must've been some type of cape pirates. Ekon's eyes still burned from the water and looked down as she approached. 

"Tell me…" She spoke in perfect Huasa, causing Ekon's eyes to widen. He stared up at her in shock as she kneeled down to touch the top of his head. 

"Do you fear death?" 

She flashed him an evil looking grin. Ekon passed out after pissing himself again. 

A/N

I'm just trying to build up the word at the moment. I have several locations planned. Kyushu and Newfoundland are on that list. 

My plan is to get this story to about 10-15k words by hopefully updating everyday. From there I'll go to about every other day. 

Ogun was sent to the birdcage at the story's start according to the wiki which is about March. Since this takes place about the next day as the locker, he should still be free. 

Time to build the seed crew


	6. 1.6

After the African boy passed out, me and my crew exchanged some weird glances. The poor dude just made my first official voyage as the captain of the Flying Dutchman all awkward. Norrington walked up beside me as we all turned to stare at the well, I couldn't call him Boy. He definitely looked older than me, at least by a couple years or so. 

"Was it something I said?" I whispered to Norrington. I did not expect this to happen at all. Well, only a little. It wasn't everyday when a ghost ship came to save you full of fishmen. Speaking of fishmen, my right arm started to hurt like hell so I was trying not to move it. I was going to have to check it later. It felt...a bit harder and stiff. 

"Hmm, I don't think so. Perhaps it was them?" Norrington motioned his head to Maccus and Palifico who was poking the guy. Wow, he even peed himself. Poor dude, he was on the verge of drowning and now he pissed himself. He was going to be so embarrassed when he woke up. 

"Eh, you're probably right." I waved my left hand at Maccus. "Wake him up or something." Maccus gave a lazy salute, left, and came back with an ugly water bucket. He dumped it all over Piss African guy, who woke up startled. 

"Wha-" He started to say, but I cut him off. 

"You were on the verge of dying and I saved your life." He seemed confused yet with every word I spoke. He opened his mouth again to speak. 

"W-What?" He gave Maccus and Palifico a fearful look. Yeah, they were pretty scary, with their sea creature features. I gave him a warm smile, but he flinched anyway. 

"You heard me. You were about to drown, die, sail onto the other side, so I saved you." Have him bound to the Dutchman I heard a voice in the back of my head say. No, he didn't do anything that made him deserve being forced into servitude. BOUND HIM. I touched my forehead lightly. I felt a headache forming. No, if he wanted to join it would be by his own choice. 

"You have three choices." I said slowly taking deep breaths. The storm around us grew more violent, but the Dutchman remained unaffected from the heavy rain. The Boy listened carefully. 

"One, you can go back into the water and drown. I'll guide you into the otherside where you'll finally be at peace, you will have no worries, no longer have to worry about what you will eat tomorrow, no suffering." I hid my pain with another smile. "The second option, I take you back to your village and you forget this ever happened." I bet he was going to choose this one. The Dutchman needs a crew. I felt a pang of pain go up my right arm. 

"The last option…" I took a deep breath. "You join my crew for ten years, afterwards I shall release you of your bonds and be rewarded with wealth." He wasn't a criminal that deserved to be shackled to serve me for all eternity. The Boy nodded slowly and licked his lips. 

"I-I choose the second one." Of course he would. I nodded with my smile still on my face. The Boy kept staring at me. "W-Who are you?" He stuttered. 

Shoot, I haven't chosen a cape name yet. Did I even need one? It's not like I was one, but if the PRT somehow found out about me I didn't want some lame one. 

"I am Taylor Hebert, Lord of the Seven Seas, Ruler of the Ocean Depths, Ferryman to all those who die at sea, and Captain of the Flying Dutchman. You can call me...Captain Charon." Yeah, that was pretty lame. I turned to Ogilvey and Crash. 

"Take our guest-" I almost got whiplash from how hard I turned my head back to the Boy. "What's your name again?" I couldn't keep calling him Boy after all. 

"Ekon." 

I nodded. "Take Ekon somewhere below deck where he can dry off for now." Ogilvey's lone eye blinked and guided Ekon by the arm somewhere else.

I closed my eyes, and focused on the storm. I sensed his friends. 

"They're that way." I pointed off into the distance. Palifico grunted in response and disappeared into the railing, reappearing at the steering wheel to adjust our course. "Prepare for a rescue." I told Maccus who nodded and went to prepare. I wandered off to the bow of the Dutchman. 

This all felt so surreal. The sea water splashing onto my cheeks, the wind blowing through my hair. It all made me feel so alive. I haven't felt this way in years. Norrington walked up beside me. 

"Shall we submerge?" He asked. I liked his voice, it sounded so professional and fancy. 

I shook my head. "Nah, we have a guest onboard. Besides, I want to make a dramatic entrance."

-*-

By the time we reached Ekon's friends, their small boat capsized and were trying to survive by holding onto it. They were failing rather miserably as they started sinking into the ocean as soon as they saw the Dutchman. Maccus and Crash had to go down there to save them while I stared from the bow. I was going to need a hat soon, a nice red one in order to match my coat would be nice. 

Soon, the three of them were kneeling before me for some reason. The one that seemed to be in charge stared at Ekon in shock. Yeah, he's still alive no thanks to you guys. 

"W-Who are you?" The one that seemed to be their leader said. It seemed that a lot of people were going to ask that question from now on. The Dutchman groaned. Serve or die. I balled my left hand into a fist. I am the master of my ship! Not you! I am the captain! I gave them a fake smile to hide my pain. 

"You can call me Charon, Captain of the Flying Dutchman and Ferryman to all those who died at sea." Their faces turned from one of confusion, to one of horror. 

"A-Are we dead?" Their Leader asked. All three of them started tearing up and were about to start sobbing. 

"Well, not yet anyways. You see, I'm going to give you the same three options I gave Ekon here." Hopefully I could tell them before they started crying. "Option one, you die and you can peacefully cross over to the afterlife. Option two, I take you back to your village and keep your mouth shut. Option three, you join my crew for ten years, afterwards you shall be released from your bonds and shall be richly rewarded." I gave them a few minutes to discuss it among themselves. All men are sinners. Make them SERVE. I started grinding my teeth. They stared at me with fear in their eyes when their Leader cleared his throat. 

"We choose the second option." A wise choice of course. I nodded still smiling and turned to Ekon. 

"Go and tell Palifico where your village is. He's that walking coral reef by the wheel." Ekon gave me a fearful smile and walked away quickly. They must've been so relieved that I found them when I did. Ekon and his friends would be able to see their loved ones again. 

Speaking of loved ones...I wondered how Dad was doing. 

A/N

Yeah I know I said no chapter today, but I lied. I'll take a two day break so I can pace myself and not burn out. 

Is everyone enjoying the story so far? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to rewrite this chapter since people said the first version was too aggressive


	7. 1.7

Daniel Hebert was a broken man. He has had many ups and downs in his relatively short life, with more downs in recent times. His beloved wife Annette died in a tragic car accident, leaving him alone with their young daughter. Danny knew that he wasn't the greatest father. After Annette died, he felt a part of him fracture. Danny became a shell of his former self. He wasn't exactly living, but he wasn't dead either. He just went through the motions of daily life. He went to work, came home early somedays to make dinner for Taylor, and then maybe he would go get a drink at a bar that wasn't far. 

Then his Taylor disappeared. She didn't come home one night, and then the next night. It was like she vanished into thin air like a ghost from those stories Annette used to read to her. Danny called the police, but they couldn't find any trace of her. The school was next, and they claimed that Taylor was just a troublemaker that caused problems wherever she went. Danny had to hold himself back from assaulting the principal after that. 

With a heavy heart, Danny searched his daughter's room for any sign of where she disappeared to. There, he found the journals, the ones that Taylor wrote. Daniel Hebert was a bad father. His beloved Taylor was being bullied, and he wasn't able to do anything about it. While reading the journals, he came across a familiar name. Barnes…

Emma was the mastermind behind this campaign. Danny remembered marching up to Alan's house and banging on his door. Alan called him mad with grief and closed the door on him after Danny demanded answers. This left no doubt in him, his Taylor was dead now. Dead by the hands of a girl who used to call him Uncle Danny. 

This led to his current circumstance. Staring at the gun in his hand, Danny sighed. The gun used to belong to his own father who used to serve in the Marines. He would have been disappointed to see his son's current state. Still, was life still worth living anymore? Taylor was the only reason he was still alive after Annette's passing. Danny didn't want to keep dealing with the pain. Danny aimed the gun at his head. This way, he could see his precious family. 

But...what would Annette say wherever she was. What would Taylor say if she was here watching him? Would they be disappointed? Would they want him to come join them? Danny failed at holding back a sob and allowed the gun to fall on the floor. 

Danny Hebert was a coward and a broken man. He screamed in frustration and threw the journals that his beautiful daughter wrote, detailing her pain. 

The floor rushed up to meet him soon after. 

-*-

When Danny woke up, he felt thirsty. He eyed the beer bottle lying on the floor next to him and took a sip. It was empty sadly. He gave the fallen gun a look and sagged his shoulders. What was he thinking? What if Taylor was still alive somewhere out there? Danny slowly stood up, and felt a weird presence in the back of his head. He shook it off and kicked the gun under the couch. 

A drink could help him think clearly. 

-*-

The walk to the old bar was a short one. People got out of Danny's way when they saw his disheveled form. It was better this way. He pushed the door that led into the bar. Good, only a few patrons were in here, it was still early after all. Danny took a seat near a stout man with sideburns, his head laid on the bar's table passed out. A brown skinned man with dreadlocks and facial hair sat on the other side. 

"Your usual?" The Bartender asked Danny after he took a seat. He flashed him a thumbs up. 

"You look like shit mate." The man with dreadlocks said with a grin. Danny wasn't in the mood to argue with him so he ignored him. "At least you don't look like Gibbs here. He looks like a filthy pig." Dreadlocks poked the man with sideburns in the side. Sideburns just mumbled something in his sleep. The Bartender returned with Danny's beer and opened it for him. 

"Gibbs ya stupid lightweight. You've gotten soft." Dreadlocks downed the cup with light brown liquid in front of him. Danny took a sip of his own beer. It burned his throat slightly. 

"Oi!" Dreadlocks raised his now empty cup towards the Bartender. "More rum." 

The Bartender shook his head while cleaning a glass cup. "You two idiots emptied out our supply." They must've drank a lot. It was a miracle that they were still standing. Well, one of them at least. 

"Why is the rum always gone?" Dreadlocks sighed, stood up from his bar seat, and threw a golden coin at the Bartender who caught it. "Come on Gibbs, The Pearl awaits. We need to leave town before that insufferable woman and monkey find us." He kicked Sideburns' bar stool and stumbled away. 

Sideburns awoke with a startle scream from the floor. "Mary Mother of God!" Danny had to hold back a laugh with a mouth full of beer. He didn't believe in religion, not anymore 

"Jack?" Sideburns slowly stood up and looked around the near empty bar. "By Neptune's balls not again!" He rushed out of the bar stumbling not long after. 

The Bartender shook his head chuckling. "Those two have been here all week. They drank our whole supply of rum and the bar's down the street." 

Danny took a long swing from the beer bottle. "I see." He said dryly. 

"Yup. I've heard that they've been living on some big black yacht." 

That seemed interesting. 

"I'm going to miss them." The Bartender sighed. Danny scoffed. He was going to miss them alright, he was going to miss their wallets. 

The rest of Danny's evening involved silence and a few more bottles. Stumbling back home was an even better experience. A metallic glint reached Danny's eyes. 

A rat was sitting on top of the gun Danny had thrown under the couch. It must've dragged it back out into the open. He stared at the rat blankly and slowly walked towards it. More rats joined them by the dozen, and soon, Danny was surrounded. He felt their presence in the back of his head. Instinctively giving out a command, the rats climbed on top of each other and passed the gun upwards. 

Danny grabbed it without a word and stared at his wouldbe suicide weapon. He tightened his grip on it. 

Danny would bring Taylor the justice that she deserved. 

A/N

I know I said no chapter today, but I couldn't help myself. I really wanted to write this one. 


	8. 1.8

Life was unfair. It favored one person over the other. You could be born into a rich household and never suffer financially, but mentally would be another issue without loving parents. You could be born into a poor family, wondering what you would eat the next day, but at least you had parents who loved you. Then the next day you all die in an accident. Life was unfair and cruel. You never knew what was coming. 

Death was fair. It took everyone great or small, rich or poor, healthy or not, young or old. It took people out of their misery, from having to suffer everyday. Death was that warm abyss that held you after you passed on. Death was fair and kind. 

How did I know all of this? The Dutchman told me so. Whatever the Dutchman wanted, the Dutchman would get. The Dutchman must always have a captain, but it must always have a crew to serve. Part of the ship, part of the crew. The crew must serve the Dutchman and its captain. The ship where the dead can keep on living, where sinners could repent of their wrongdoing. Life was unfair. 

Soon after we adjusted our course, we quickly left the storm behind us. The skys became clear and the sun shone down on us. I gasped when another sharp pang of pain went up my right arm. 

"I-I'll be in my quarters. Let me know when we arrive." I ignored Norrington's concerned face and scurried back to my room. I closed the door behind me, threw off my red coat and white puffy shirt. I gritted my teeth as I moved my arm. 

I got a good look at my right arm. My right shoulder was covered in some type of shell, and it felt hard. Pain sprung up with every movement. 

"Arrrgh-" Pain started up on the left side of my face and I screamed. Pain coursed through my body as I felt myself collapse onto the floor. My body was changing, slowly and painfully. After a few minutes, it went away with only a dull ache in my right arm. The silent room was disrupted by my breathing as I leaned against my bed, sitting on the floor. 

I slowly touched the left side of my face. It...felt hard yet smooth to the touch. I closed my eyes, but a few tears managed to escape. The Dutchman groaned again, the driftwood seemed like it was shivering. All dying must serve. 

All...dying...must...serve...this is the way. Death was fair, it always was. It took Mom away so she wouldn't have to suffer in her day to day life. I nodded my head slowly. Once...I returned the fishermen to their village, I'll find more dying to have them serve. Taking a moment to compose myself, I got dressed in my white shirt and red coat again. Not even a minute later, I heard a frantic pounding on my door. Opening it, Norrington's face told me everything I needed to know. 

"You need to see this."

-*-

Life was unfair and cruel. Life and death both went hand in hand with fate. Fate demanded that the four fisherman should have died at sea, and either join my crew, or pass onto the other side. Fate could not be denied, and it always found a way. 

The fishing village was burning before my eyes. Flames shot up from every hut, with bloodied bodies covering the coast. It seemed they tried running to their boats to try and escape. They were rewarded with a bullet to the head or back. I took an unsteady breath. This was all of my fault. I should never have given the fisherman that second option. I killed this village. 

The four fishermen started wailing as soon as they caught sight of their beloved village. They scoured the shore as they started looking for survivors. I decided to help. This was all of my fault. I stepped over dead bodies filled with bullet holes, and others with burns. I had no control over those who died at land, I couldn't sense if there was anyone dying here. Fate always found a way. Death always found a way. There was no escaping this. 

Ekon ran towards a hut near the shore. 

"MAMA! PAPA! ABEBI! ADAEGO! ADAEZE!" He screamed. A stout older woman laid dead at the front door. Ekon cradled her body in his arms and I looked away. I killed their families. 

"Look for survivors." I murmured. Norrington touched my left shoulder as I started to walk off. I paused for a second, but didn't turn to look at him. 

"You're wrong. This….this is all my fault." I wandered off to look for any survivors. I had always heard that Africa was filled with warlords, but I never imagined something like this. What type of monsters would murder a whole village! I balled my left hand into a fist, my right still hurts. I vomited by the side of a lone hut. Wiping my mouth, I found myself back at the shoreline, the Dutchman in plain view. 

"Why haven't you done anything?" I heard someone angrily say. I turned my head to see an angry Ekon march up to me, a young girl lying in his arms. "Why DIDN'T YOU SAVE THEM?!" He screamed in my face. 

I stared back blankly. "I don't decide who lives and who dies. The sea is my domain." 

Ekon gently lowered the girl to the sand and cried even more. "She….she died in my arms." He looked back up at me angrily. "Didn't you say that you guided those who died into the other side! Give them the same offer you gave me!" The other three fishermen arrived and collapsed to their knees on the shoreline. 

I shook my head slightly. "They died on land. The sea is my domain." Norrington touched my shoulder, but I brushed him off. 

Ade crawled up to us, his tears turning the sand moist. "Adroa did this…" 

Ekon's head turned violently. "What?!" His voice was a mixture of anger and sadness. He grabbed Ade by the collar. "How do you know?!" 

Ade whimpered and buried his head in Ekon's neck. "M-My wife...they...they VIOLATED HER. I held her hand as she passed. She whispered his name into my ear." Ade's voice grew with rage. 

Suddenly, I felt their gaze turn to me. They seemed confused as they stared at my face. I still haven't seen my reflection. 

"Take us with you." What? It would have been more merciful for them to die and rejoin their loved ones. 

Ekon stood up and marched up to me. "I shall serve you and keep your riches. Give me...give me Adroa and I shall serve you for all eternity." Hmm, he would eventually come to regret that. I shook my head side to side. 

"I don't make bargains with the living, only the dying." I snapped my finger and my fishmen started walking back into the water. Norrington stayed beside me. 

Ekon's eyes widened and turned to the other fishermen. They all shared a knowing look, and started running past me to throw themselves into the sea. I sighed sadly. I was the one who caused them to believe that suicide by drowning will give them revenge. 

"Are you ok Taylor." Norrington asked. I gave him a fake smile and nodded. I walked back to the Dutchman in silence after giving the village one last look. I had four souls that needed to be bound. 

Death was fair. 

A/N

Taylor's mood will be like the oceans. Calm the next and raging the next. Rising and falling like the tides, but baby steps first. 

Minor changes here and there until she becomes more comfortable in her role. 


	9. 1.9

Once the four fishermen, now future fishmen, were bound to the Dutchman, they went ashore to bury all of their dead. I sent Crash and Palifico to go and assist them. Even with their help, it would take the rest of the day and night. I spent my time in my room, staring at the ceiling. The pain in my right arm had subsided for now, the mutation had started on my shoulder and part of my face. I still haven't seen my reflection, so I didn't know what type of fish or animal's features I was taking on, if it was even one of those two. 

My left hand was slowly turning an ugly green. If this was the price of being able to walk on land, I didn't want it, but a deal was a deal. Ekon, Ade and their two fellow fishermen made me such a deal. They would serve on the Dutchman for a hundred years, I had to convince them to go down from eternity, and in return, I would help them get revenge on Adroa. A fool's errand at the moment despite the power of the Dutchman. I needed a crew big enough to man all of my cannons. It would take a few days for me to gather that many dying men, but if I rushed it I could make that time shorter. 

I sat up in my bed and stared at the organ sitting in the middle of the room. It looked like it was dumped into the sea for decades, which it probably was. I took the coral flute and placed it on a flat spot on the organ. Taking the seat in front of it, I stared at my hands. Did I make the right decision? Maybe I should have passed on and reunited with Mom. 

...but that would have left Dad all alone even though I can't see him. I didn't want him to see me like this once my transformation was complete. This world was filled with so much death, natural and unnatural. The Dutchman must always have a captain. How many souls were stuck here because Davy Jones refused his duty to spite Calypso, and Great-Grandpa who grew tired of his duty? My job would be an unthankful one. People would dread the sight of the Dutchman, but it was a job that needed to be done. 

I slammed my hands on the organ, causing an inharmonious sound. I slammed my fingers onto different keys, an ugly loud sound resonating from the pipes. I poured out my anger, and my frustration into these keys. 

I had a crew to build. There shall only be two choices now, serve or die. The Dutchman groaned in approval, and I smirked. 

-*-

We spent the next three days gathering dying souls. Some of them were fishermen who's motor died, others whose ship capsized, even a few smugglers trying to sell weapons to Moord Nag's Militia. I gave them all two choices, serve the Dutchman, or pass on to the next life. I could count with one hand how many people took that option. In the end, almost two dozen were press ganged into joining the crew. It was just enough to form a skeleton crew. Ogilvey was happy to see the weapons that we confiscated, and immediately claimed a rifle. My officers were given first pick of the weapons, with the leftovers spread out among the crew. 

When I wasn't busy bounding people to the Dutchman, Norrington would beat my ass as he made me practice swordplay. This led to my current situation. 

I groaned with pain as I leaned against the railing. While James was a really nice guy, he was absolutely brutal when it came to teaching. We were near the stern of the ship, and my left hand was now covered in several cuts. I healed faster than normal people, but that shit hurts a lot. 

Norrington would easily block all of my strikes, and then disarmed me. 

"You're getting better." He said after each of my losses. That was when I knew he was a liar. I shook my head, gave my bloodied hand a look, and picked my sword back up with my left hand. Normally, I was right handed, but with the mutation starting in my right I didn't want to take a chance. After that initial mutation, it started slowing down slightly. I managed to steal a mirror to look at my face. It seemed like a piece of shiny red coral was forming in a line along my face, looking like a scar. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. 

A few of my conscripts who were supposed to be cleaning had paused to look at my training. 

"What are you looking at?" I glared at them and they immediately went back to work. Maccus was busy with getting the new recruits up to speed. Crash was...counting guns? He couldn't seem to be able to count past ten. Being the ferryman to the dead was hard. We also guided a few souls onto the other side. The good thing about having a smaller crew was having more space to fit those souls. 

I would need to start practicing on them soon. Maybe when we went to Kyushu or Newfoundland. It would be interesting to see a cape bound to the Dutchman. Wasn't Newfoundland known for tinkers or something? Still, it would be a lot of work guiding all those souls. 

"I believe that shall be all for today." Norrington sheathed his sword. His once pristine uniform was now starting to be covered in barnacles and other sea creatures. We would be submerged beneath the waters once we were done binnding my new crew members. 

"Finally-" 

"Now we shall start your training on how to run an efficient ship." 

Now I'm starting to wish I was dead. 

-*-

After a few hours of mental torture, I managed to get some of it down with help from the Dutchman. Once I managed to get some alone time, I sat near the bow of the ship with the coral flute in hand. I haven't played since Emma broke Mom's flute. It was still worth a try despite being out of practice. 

I softly blew into the flute, and music came out. It was soft, and peaceful like a calm wind. It reminded me of a leaf being thrown about, flying and twirling in the air. It made me feel relaxed and calm. A tear formed in one of my eyes. Mom taught me how to play this song…

Sensing quite a few people staring at me, I turned my head. Maccus and a few others had gathered around to stare at me. I stopped blowing and the music stopped. 

"You're quite good with that Captin." Maccus said with a grin in his eyes. I scratched the back of my head. 

"Not really." A few more crew members gathered around. 

"Mind if we add some voices to ya flute there?" Maccus could sing? Well, he was a sharkman so I guess anything could happen. I nodded my head with a small smile. 

"Sure." I placed the flute near my mouth and started to blow again. Maccus told the others something about following along, and after a few seconds, he started to sing. 

"I thought I heard the Old man say…"

The others started to sing along. How did they even know the lyrics? The answer, Dutchman bullshit. 

"Leave her Johnny, Leave her. Tomorrow you'll get your pay…" 

Adroa...I'm coming for you. 

A/N

It seems that most of my recent chapters happen to be controversial. I read each and every comment and I appreciate honest criticism, but don't be a jerk about it. Plain and simple. I enjoy improving my writing, but if you're just going to complain, please keep it to yourself unless it's advice that will help improve my writing. 

No offense. I am also getting tired of people asking why Taylor is going through changes. It was literally explained in 1.1. 

Here it is again: Taylor gets to walk on land and in exchange she turns fishy 

Still, writing this has been extremely fun even with that rewrite. 

Please be aware that all POVs are unreliable. It is up to you the reader, to decide what is true and what is not. Taylor doesn't have the meta knowledge that we have. 

Please be aware Im crossposting this and most of the problems are on SB


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